Holy Cow... I love the dead!
Laughing because I get to hear these shows with "new" ears, from time to time... And this one is just sparkling in my head this morning! Cannot recommend it enough, second set, in particular, is popping... As one grown up on early to mid-80s shows, 76 has been f'n phenomenal...

It appears they played Samson at every show in 1976 other than this one! I just kinda noticed it... and then confirmed where people do such things! Its a good, if not very good show that I had on tape for years and years and years... I admitted this flaw in my research in a previous version of this review!

Usually a good venue for the band: the day before is a Dave's Picks, and this (trimmed to fit) is on Dick's #20. The rest of this tour is also well represented officially (Spirit of '76, Dicks #33, and 30 Trips). DiP20 also has the 28th, but the show in-between (Rochester, 27th) also has great stuff. At the time the Cap was the arena for the Washington Bullets and was just across the Columbia District's beltway from where the Redskins play today. This tour was Donna at her best.

First Set. Opener Bertha is straightforward, with powerchords, even - and out of tune. Minglewood flys - Jer is so inventive sometimes. Ramble is emphatic - check Keith! There's great interplay on Cassidy and Brown-Eyed has the '76 breakneck tempo. Mama Tried is just about perfect. The uptempo '76 Peggy-O had two more leads than previously (the key had recently changed from G to A) and this one stretches to 9½mins - because the stanzas get jumbled. All Over Now falters ("Oh well," says Jer). Loser is workmanlike, but the rest is hot. The first 10 seconds of Sugaree are missing from Dick's, for no apparent reason, but Phil is insane and Jer plays it like he would in '80.

Second Set. Starts with an absolutely perfect Supplication. On Half-Step Mississippi Jer is enunciating ... with his guitar (there's a puzzling patch on DiP20: 6:47>8:25 they used 10/9 Oakland, even skipping much of the great 3rd solo - I guess to trim time for the CD.) Dancin' gets better about 8mins in. Scarlet shines with Phil on the slides. St. Stephen was funky in '76 with swung beats. Not Fade also has a shrinkage edit on DP20: @7:15 1min 12sec is removed. The second set sandwich looks great on paper, but the rest is average '76.

1st Set:  B
2nd Set: B
Overall = 4 stars

Highlights:
New Minglewood Blues - Jer's playing here is inspired
Mama Tried - One of many great ones in '76
Let it Grow - Steams like a set closer - yet there's more
Sugaree - A Phil showcase
Lazy Lightnin'/Supplication - A+ version
Scarlet Begonias - pre-Fir,e with Jer and Phil bouncing off each other

SOURCES: Dick's Picks 20 has most of the show, but misses It's All Over Now and has incomplete versions of three others. The aj_246 is the best available SBD, but all versions of this source run slow and need a +2% pitch correction.

I love 76. I had this bootleg back in the day. one of the best.

This is also the home of the Washington Capitals!
Pretty big size hockey arena.
I would figure this would have to be one of the larger indoor venues on this tour?
Solid 1st set with effort throughout even a tune as basic as Mama Tried has gusto.
Garcia does some nice exploring on The Let it Grow jam to the point of meltdown. yeah!
The top-shelf Garcia selections of Bertha, Ramble On, B.E. Women, Peggy-O get an extra push with a Sugaree set closer. SWEET.
I am thinking about how the years have passed.
In 76 I was just a boy.
I wouldn't know anything about the Grateful Dead until the summer of 84. (spent the next 10 years in with the scene)
My 1st wife was a few years younger than me but got to see Jerry with the band Tampa 95.
Around the time the towers fell, My lady was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, that was tough.
Also when i realized that the bigger questions of life and death were out of my control.
I found peace thru Jesus.
Honestly, I never thought that would be me.
It was kinda like;
"When I had no dream of mine, YOU dreamed of me"
Scripture gave me hope:

Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ,
if there is any consolation of love,
if there is any fellowship of the Spirit,
if any affection and compassion,
make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit,
intent on one purpose.
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit,
but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;
do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
Being found in appearance as a man,
He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
For this reason also, God highly exalted Him,
and bestowed on Him the name
which is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW,
of those who are in heaven
and on earth
and under the earth,
and that every tongue will confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed,
not as in my presence only,
but now much more in my absence,
work out your salvation with fear and trembling;
for it is God who is at work in you,
both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
Do all things without grumbling or disputing;
so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach
in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation,
among whom you appear as lights in the world,
holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ
I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain
nor toil in vain.
Philippians 2:1-16

Set Two
Lazy Lightning>Supplication
I sure wish they would have kept playing this tune.
Absolutely one of my favorites.
It has an extra punch with Donna Jean involved.
Call it a Chemistry thing!
1/2 Step
One of the 1st songs I latched on to, it reminded me of one of the old Westerns my dad loved to watch on T.V.
Backing vocals are a big part of this tune.
Nice jam out of Rio Grande, they stretch it out and lay it down gently.
Dancin>played almost as much as SAMSON-76
(Besides-1970 version- check out 85 Frost )
They have a good head of steam here.
Cosmic Charlie- perhaps this is kinda like Golden Road being linked to the time period in which it was first performed. To my ears , it has a barbershop quartet feel.
Scarlet Begonias-Great placement for this tune.
It had been pretty much a 1st set gem since 74
and will take on a whole new dimension
with the coming of FIRE..
I like how FURTHUR emphasised the line
"Look at it right!"
I love the set list for this show!
The last Stephen with Garcia was I believe in 1983 so I didn't get it on that. But our local GD band the Volunteers (with Jeff Mattson) used to jam a mighty STEPHEN at the RTI on Saturday Nights.
Also saw FURTHUR do it which was great because
I always liked Phil's influence on that song.
Also amazing to think that Weir and the drummers
are still out on the road with Dead & Company
Only one tour a year but pretty cool that the Circus
still makes it into town.
Besides singing a few Dead tunes if and when i perform
I am pretty much removed from the scene-nowadays
Not posting much anymore on the GD forum.
(opinions are like butt-holes ,everybody got one)
Pretty difficult to capture what the GD scene was about.
But if you are willing to go for the long haul.
The GD forum can be one long ongoing
"One or two moments
a piece of your time
is all I am asking
and I'll give you mine
One or two moments
out of all you have got
to show how I love you
believe it or not"
Still dig the music,
Still feel it when that GD music is played
Stephen>NFA>Stephen
(with lots of Counterpoint exploration)
Sugar Magnolia- talk about a tune that was pretty steady in the repertoire, Always had to smile with Sugar Magnolia!
A never fade away ,, dream..

I lived in MD from 79-82 and became a DH in 1980 there. First show Baltimore 1980. This was my first bootleg I ever got and it changed me forever. I think it's one of 76's best. The whole shoe imo is epic. Jerry is so dialed in and flawless. He's at the top of his game here folks I guess that's why Dick made it a pick. And the last Cosmic Charlie. I turned my mom onto sugaree and peggy-o from this show when I got the tape. She still loves those songs and she's a hardcore Catholic. Will always be one of my favorite shows. A deserted island show for me. And first It's all over now in 3 years 364 days!:)

Great sound, and some moments of glory for sure, but overall I don't think it's that awesome a show. Worth listening to for the Lazy/Supplication alone.

Not usually a big fan of Dancing in the Streets but this one into Cosmic Charlie is about as good as it gets for me.

i dont need to be with the program the guy is fucking dead i dont need to spend money on cds the music waqs allways free know its not so they take it away so fuch off asshole

Seriously Mike- get with the program.

Unfortunatly, Dick Died 6 years ago. If you have been talking with him, you may have special talents!

But seriously, this is one Dick's Pick's not to pass up. Set 1 features the revival of All Over Now since the one-off in 69. Second set is very good. I like the 28th better, but this show is notable for the last Cosmic Charlie. Check out the 27th too. I can't give it a 5 though. 3 1/2 to 4 stars for me.

This is one of the all time best half-steps around along with many others. Sugeree is really powerfull for an overall mellow show. I't one of those shows you can listen to really realy really really loud and it still sounds crisp. I love this site and download my fair share so I see it as our duty to line the remaining members pockets with some cheese. ( NO Dick did not put me up to this just the way I feel )